Oh dear Lord, BB. I see a LOT of resemblance to Balenciaga too! What is this? This isn’t Valentino. It’s ugly. To me those pieces look like bad imitations of Balenciaga by Heatherette. Even worse, they look like something made by mediocre fashion school students on their graduation night.

Two minds that made a love collection for SS10 came up with THIS for the supreme arena of fashion? Ridiculous!

Not into Elie Saab, with him Valentino will only stand still instead of going forward into the future. I loved Fachinetti’s work for the brand. It was very Valentino but done w/ a fresh approach. I’d also love to see what Olivier Thyskens could bring into Valentino. As for this collection, “Whhhhaaattt…?!?!”

Looks a bit too radical to be haute couture to me. I always associate haute couture with more classic styling. I’m not saying that couture can’t move forward, it does, and it should. But, not like this!

This looks more like a ready-to-wear/streetwear collection. As to whether it’s good or bad, I’ll leave that alone as fashion, like any artform, is subjective with the beauty being in the eye of the beholder.

I actually enjoyed a lot of this collection, but then again, it wasn’t at all what you would expect from Valentino couture. It looked more like a mix of Balmain and Alexander McQueen. If this were a designer I’d never heard of, I’d be stoked to see what they were doing next, but I think it’s too forward and loses the classic essence of what Valentino should be: beautiful, feminine and rich.

Though I love Elie Saab and I couldn’t agree more to how much resemblances there are in both designers’ aesthetic. But let’s face it, if they want Elie Saab to design for Valentino, why not have Mr. Valentino designs the collection himself. It’d have made not much different, don’t you think?. the Valentino group’s owners is trying to move forward instead of making just beautiful same old evening gowns which by the way I love so much.
P.S. I don’t like this collection at all.

I totally agree. and to add to that, I don’t think they can push it as far as Balenciaga because correct me if I’m wrong, I think Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli came from background in Haute Couture and they aren’t used to pushing boundaries in their design approach like the current designer for Balenciaga. in short, you can’t teach a old man a new trick.

One thing I found interesting was how Sarah Mower’s review of this collection, on style.com, was short and not negative (but not explicitly positive either). Her review of Jean Paul Gaultier, on the other hand, was negative and lengthy.

I’m curious why. What could’ve happened in the mind of this experienced critic? Perhaps she got disappointed, bored, lost, and eventually speechless. I also suspect a bias in Mower’s part. It felt like she held back her a lot in her comments to save Valentino from disgrace.

Well i feel “the new spirit” of Valentino but it’s kind of unpleasant feeling, and that’s not how it suppose to be i quess… So if so many people thing it’s wrong, they can’t be wrong:) Sometimes trying too much to fix what’s already ok turns into a catastroph. So yeah why not Elie, anything that would make Valentino out of this will be good. x

at one point Yves completely ditched Dior’s New Look and presented the trapeze dress and changed the house direction. It’s hard to follow the House traditions, especially which are associated with somebody’s impecable style and name.
but i don’t think that’s the ysl issue we’re facing here. this is something out of place, well, for me.
ellie saab is the solution, i agree. or georges chakra. i’d still love to see the valentino woman in rouge, empowering and classically flawless.period.

I completely agree with you! The shapes and lengths of Elie Saab’s Spring couture show seem to be a much more natural continuation of the Valentino heretage. This new-look Valentino just looks like an MA collection – a rip off of Christopher Kane – and not a show from an historic design house.
Hear more of my thoughts on the SS2010 couture shows on my blog The Style Rail
Sorry, shameless plug!

couldnt agree more on george chakra! i dont understand why style.com doesnt have him on their website’s couture list, i mean he really is a real deal in couture.
and p/s: since am a super duper big fan Alexis Mabille’s, do u guys think there’s a chance he’s gonna be ‘the next guy’ at yves saint laurent, succeeding stefano pilati? i really hope that will happen someday, i think he will do a way better job in a larger capacity(as in resource as far as couture is concerned).